Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-04-02
"TURN THE RAsCALS OUT"
Four of EN- Bounced, Including
the Subscriber.

9'Our OF Elm Bounced,
the Subscriber.
WASHINGTON, March 2s.-Following
postlnasters were appointed today: John
frey, Aberdeen, Dak., vice Charles H.
Fisher, removed; Charles w. Hastings,
Brookings. Dak., vice Geo. w. Hopper,
removed; H. G. Rasmussen, Devils Lake,
Ezra w. FOUGHT, Redfield, OAK, vice
Henry Rising, removed.
The first intimation we had that Mr..
Cleveland had decided to depart from the
civil service policy under which we have
been holding Office for the past two years
and return to the spoils system was con-
tanned in a telegram from the st. Paul
Globe requesting rs to send that journal
400 words about H. G. Rasmussen being
appointed postmaster at DeYils Lake.
The announcement that a change had
been made did not surprise us much.
Ever since the president got the second
term bee in his bonnet it has been clear
Gals out" and put ''honest Cleveland
men, in, as he will need their services
and influence to help him to get what he
wants; and he must also appease the
party appetite for offices if he would have
the aid of that party. The thing that
perplexed us most was to find material
for 400 words about MI. Rasmussen"
He was unknown in this city, except by
w. Y. Rumney, who knew HIM in the
Rasmussen has a claim. and where, we
understand, his family have been living.
Mr.. Rasmussen himself is q printer, and,
up to the date of his appointment, held
tho position of foreman on Der Nordves-
tern, a Scandinavian newspaper of st.
Paul. He has made two or three trips o
year to this county to visit his family
and see tho farm: Two years ago he did
campaign work for Mr.. Rumney in the
first commissioners district. when Chas.
A. Currier was elected. Last November
he spent q couple of days in this city,
presumably looking up our offensive
partizanship," and from the turn things
have taken he must have found it. He
had the Endorsement of NJ. L.. McCor-
mick, Pat Kelly and j. J. Hill, and was
among the last of tho very large number
Cooke. of this city, was the first appli-
cant. When his papers were received in
Washington he was informed that it
would be necessary for him to file charges
against the incumbent. Mr.. Cooke re-
piled that the only charge that could be
flied against the postmaster was that he
was a Republican of the radical kind
which it was the duty of the Democratic
administration to get rid of as soon as
petition was ignored. Tho administra-
ton had no use for a man who couldn't
| get up charges Of some kind against a
Republican. Then came the applications
of A. J. Alexander, now of Lakota; John
Barton, II of our county commission
ers Mrs. Click, of LarimOre; Ed Muir
ply, a farmer of Minnewaukan town
ship; Jim Dean, of the same town (but
Jim denies it), and two or three others.
All were %confdant; all had "dead Ger
tain promises" that they would succeed.
But alas! for the local Democracy. 1t was
doomed to disappointment.
MI. Rasmussen is about SIS years of age.
He has followed his trade in st. Paul for
several years past, and prior to his re-
moval to st. Paul he worked at printing
in Chicago. He will now lay down the
upon himself the arduous task of hand
ling the mails of western North Dakota,
Devils Lake being the distributing point
fort entire region. The total salary and
clerk hire of tho office is $1,000 per year.
That sum was fixed in 1884 by Frank
Hatton, then postmaster general under
President Arthur. At that date there
were eleven Offices supplied with mail
from this point, and the postmaster, with
Iuo dsS4StdI!Co VI d NfV per AIlOIlC1 ClcTh!
could handle the mails easily. Now,
however, there are about forty offices to
be supplied, and the services of two
clerks, at $50 per month each. are re-
quired; yet the Democratic administra-
ton positively and repeatedly refused te
increase tho pay of the Republican post
master. It is to DO hoped that a Demo.
cratic postmaster may succeed in getting
the compensation raised to a moro equit'
able figure.
The books are balanced, the cash an6
stamps are counted and found tt be al
present, and the Republican ''rascal'' is
Democrat ;''-not only ready. but glad te
do so-glad to know that his official sorv'
itude is at an end, and that the angel o.
reform is soon to roost upon the postof-
flee perch.